1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an interface device for transmitting information between input/output means and application units in an information and/or communication system.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Information and/or communication systems such as are used, in particular, in motor vehicles, have user interfaces in order to permit dialogue between the user and the application units of this system. In such systems, application units are, for example, radios, CD players, cassette recorders, mobile telephones, but also navigation devices and systems as well as onboard computers, diagnostic systems and the like. For the purpose on inputting and outputting information, in particular for setting and operating the individual application units, depending on the complexity the user interfaces have rotary actuators, keys and/or pushbuttons with specifically assigned functions, alphanumeric keyboards, selector keys, and/or voice input means for inputting voice commands, letters and numbers or individual words. Output means of the user interface comprise, for example, optical display means such as, for example, light-emitting diodes or liquid crystal displays or graphic display screens such as are suitable, for example, for reproducing video pictures. In addition, it is also possible to provide message means for acoustic output of information as well as haptic message means which, upon operation of rotary actuators and pushbuttons, supply tangible feedback on the execution of operating functions.
In order in the case of given input/output means to permit dialogue between the user and an application unit, the respective application unit must have an input/output interface which processes input and output information or data in accordance with the possibilities and properties of the input/output means.
It is therefore necessary to equip one and the same application unit with different input/output interfaces if it is to be used with different input/output means. A further disadvantage consists in that the input/output interface of a specific application unit must, in turn, be redesigned if the corresponding application unit is to be used with new, improved input/output means of a user interface.
DE 196 25 002 A1 discloses a communication system for motor vehicles which has a central vehicle computer and a number of peripheral devices for transmitting, receiving, establishing and/or processing data for telematic applications which are carried out by the central computer. The peripheral devices are connected in this case to the central computer via at least one data channel and assigned interfaces. In this case, adaptive application control is effected independently of the telematic applications, and communicates with the latter via a further data format, in order to be able for each application, for example, for route planning, a remote diagnosis or anti-theft protection, to select flexibly the required device, that is to say, for example, RDS radio, GSM mobile radio, GPS receiver, and the suitable interface such as, for example, an infrared interface, plug-in connector or PCMCIA slot.
In the case of this communication system, as well, the individual application units, that is to say the RDS radio or the GSM mobile telephone or the GPS unit, must have input/output interfaces which can exchange data with the input/output means of the user interface which are present in the respective motor vehicle.
It is the object of the invention to provide an interface device which permits application units to be capable of use with the most varied input/output means of a user interface without the need to change the input/output interface of the application units.
This object is achieved by means of the interface device according to claim 1. Advantageous developments and refinements of the invention are described in the subclaims.
Thus, according to the invention an interface device for transmitting information between input/output means and application units has an interface circuit and a storage device, connected thereto, for system data and input/output formats and structures, the interface circuit processing input and/or output information to be transmitted in accordance with the stored system data as a function of the input/output means available with the aid of the stored input/output formats and structures, and outputting said information to the respective application unit and/or to the input/output means available.
The use of the interface device according to the invention renders it possible to use an application unit, for example a radio, mobile telephone or a navigation system with different input/output means, without the need for changes to the application unit. It is particularly advantageous in this case that the application units need output only the pure information or information requirements, or even only information codes, while the interface device provides the appropriate output formats and any dialogue structures required.
In an advantageous refinement of the invention, it is provided that the storage device has at least one further write-read access via which further information can be written in from outside, and information already stored can be updated. The additional write-read access to the storage device permits not only simple storage of the input/output formats and structures for a specific configuration of an information and/or communication system, but also simple adaptation to changed system configurations, or simple updating after the exchange of individual application units by further-developed and improved application units of the same type or after the provision of new applications and services which can be used with the existing application units.
In order for the possibilities for adapting the interface device according to the invention to different and/or changed system configurations to be further improved and more flexibly configured, in a further refinement of the invention it is provided that the storage device has an access device of reading or for reading and writing data on an exchangeable storage means.
A particularly advantageous refinement of the invention is distinguished in that the interface circuit has a structure interface which is connected to the storage device, can be connected to application units via unit interfaces on the application side, and can be connected to the input/output means via at least one driver interface, appropriate driver interface being provided both for optical and acoustic and for tactile/haptic input/output means. Thus, according to the invention the interface circuit is subdivided into a structure interface and one or more driver interfaces, with the result that the interface device can be adapted particularly easily to the respective system configuration. In particular, in the case of changes to the system configuration on the application side there is only a need for changes to the structure and format data for the structure interface in the storage device. The driver interfaces are expediently designed in this case such that they can drive virtually any input/output means.
A preferred development of the invention is distinguished in that each driver interface has adaptation means which can be used to adapt the output/input information in accordance with the characteristics of the assigned input/output means.